Servicer for tire building machine

ABSTRACT

A servicer for conveying upper and lower breaker strip material onto a rotating cylindrical surface comprising upper and lower conveyors, each with an input end and output end, to sequentially feed the upper and lower breaker strip material along upper and lower paths of travel onto the rotating cylindrical surface; a roll of breaker strip material located in association with each conveyor at its input end; positioning means to sequentially move and pivot the output end of each conveyor between a first position in operative association with the rotating cylindrical surface and a second position remote therefrom; cutter means in each path of travel to cut the conveyed breaker strip material into strips of predetermined lengths; and drive means associated with the conveyors to move the cut breaker strips onto the rotating surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an automatic servicer for tire buildingmachines and, more particularly, to a continuous and automatic servicerfor feeding, aligning and cutting breaker strip material to a breakerdrum of a second stage tire building machine.

2. Description of the Background Art

Pneumatic tires of the bias type have been generally built commerciallyin a "flat band" and subsequently expanded to the toroid shape in acuring mold. While building such tires, the strip material including thetread strips are applied directly over a laminated carcass while in aflat band orientation.

Conversely, pneumatic tires of the radial type are generally builtcommercially by the "toroid" method. This method requires a first stagetire building machine for constructing the carcass in a flat bandconfiguration and a second stage tire building machine for constructingthe breaker and tread strips and applying them to the carcass. At thesecond stage machine, the carcass is supported on a first drum where itis expanded into a toroid shape. The tread and breaker strips areseparately built on a second drum and then transferred onto theperiphery of the supported carcass to form the green tire ready forvulcanization.

Various approaches to tire building machines and their components aredisclosed in the literature. Note for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,795,563to Enders; 3,841,941 to Leblond and 3,898,116 to Katagiri. All of thesepatents disclose surfaces with sheet-feed mechanisms for deliveringmaterial from a plurality of rolls to a processing drum. In addition,U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,333,788 to Klose; 4,409,872 to Bertoldo; 4,457,802 toYanagihara and 4,474,338 to Peramo all disclose sheet-feed mechanisms ina servicer for delivering cut sheets to a drum wherein the output end ofthe sheet-feed mechanism is movable to insure proper positioning of theleading of the sheet material onto the drum. Additionally, U.S. Pat.Nos. 3,647,126 to Dieterich and 3,993,530 to Henley disclose mechanismsfor use in feeding sheet material on a tire machine servicer forinsuring precise feed and alignment of the fed sheet material. Althoughmany such advances are noteworthy to one extent or another, noneachieves the objective of an effective, efficient and economical tirebuilding machine which is continuous and automatic in its operation.

As illustrated by the great number of prior patents as well ascommercial devices, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt toimprove tire building machines and methods to render them moreefficient, effective and economical. None of these previous efforts,however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention.Additionally, prior tire building machines do not suggest the presentinventive combination of method steps and component elements arrangedand configured as disclosed and claimed herein. The present inventionachieves its intended purposes, objects and advantages over the priorart devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of componentelements, with the use of minimum number of functioning parts, at areasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily availablematerials.

Therefore, it is an obJect of this invention to provide an improvedservicer for conveying upper and lower breaker strip material onto arotating cylindrical surface comprising upper and lower conveyors, eachwith an input end and output end, to sequentially feed the upper andlower breaker strip material along upper and lower paths of travel ontothe rotating cylindrical surface; a roll of breaker strip materiallocated in association with each conveyor at its input end; positioningmeans to sequentially move and pivot the output end of each conveyorbetween a first position in operative association with the rotatingcylindrical surface and a second position remote therefrom; cutter meansin each path of travel to cut the conveyed breaker strip material intostrips of predetermined lengths; and drive means associated with theconveyors to move the cut breaker strips onto the rotating surface.

It is an additional object of the invention to continuously andautomatically feed, align and cut material to a rotating breaker drum ofa second stage tire building machine.

Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to build tires on asecond stage tire building machine more efficiently, rapidly andeconomically.

The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of theinvention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrativeof some of the more prominent features and applications of the intendedinvention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying thedisclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the inventionwithin the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and afuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to thesummary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferredembodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by theclaims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is defined by the appended claims with a specificembodiment shown in the attached drawings. For the purpose ofsummarizing the invention, the invention may be incorporated into aservicer for conveying upper and lower breaker strip material onto arotating cylindrical surface comprising upper and lower conveyors, eachwith an input end and output end, to sequentially feed the upper andlower breaker strip material along upper and lower paths of travel ontothe rotating cylindrical surface; a roll of breaker strip materiallocated in association with each conveyor at its input end; positioningmeans to sequentially move and pivot the output end of each conveyorbetween a first position in operative association with the rotatingcylindrical surface and a second position remote therefrom; cutter meansin each path of travel to cut the conveyed breaker strip material intostrips of predetermined lengths; and drive means associated with theconveyors to move the cut breaker strips onto the rotating surface.

The positioning means individually moves the output end of each conveyorlongitudinally along its length and pivotally with respect thereto. Theservicer further includes an additional conveyor to feed precut stripsof tread material onto the rotating surface over the breaker strips. Theadditional conveyor means is located on the side of the rotating surfaceremote from the upper and lower conveyors. The additional conveyor meansis movable between a position adjacent to the rotating surface and to aposition remote therefrom. The servicer further includes a programmablecontroller to coordinate and effect the moving and pivoting of theconveyors. The movement of the additional conveyor means is coordinatedand effected by the controller means.

The invention may also be incorporated in a tire building machineservicer with material feeding apparatus for sequentially conveyingbreaker strips with magnetic cords onto a rotating drum, the apparatuscomprising conveyor means with an input end and an output end tosequentially convey the leading edge of each breaker strip onto therotating surface, the conveyor means having belt means with magnetslocated on the side thereof remote from the conveyed material; a sourceof breaker material located in association with the input end of theconveyor means; positioning means to sequentially move and pivot theoutput end of the conveyor means between a first position in operativeassociation with the surface and a second position remote therefrom; anddrive means in association with the conveyor means to convey the cutbreaker strips onto the rotating surface.

The material feed apparatus further includes detector means to sense thelength of cut breaker strip material and to vary, in response thereto,the relative speed between the drive means and the rotating surface. Theconveyor means includes an input conveyor portion, an intermediateconveyor portion and an output conveyor portion, the input andintermediate conveyor portions having their magnets beneath their beltsfor conveying fed material thereabove and the output conveyor portionhaving its magnets above its belt for conveying fed materialtherebeneath. The output end of the output conveyor is movable between aposition with its output end in operative proximity to the rotating drumand a retracted position wherein at least a portion of the outputconveyor portion overlies at least a portion of the intermediateconveyor portion. The sheet feed apparatus further includes firstadditional drive means to longitudinally shift the output conveyorportion and second additional drive means to rotatably pivot the outputconveyor portion.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent andimportant features of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood sothat the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated.Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter whichform the subject of the claims of the invention. It should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and thespecific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a second stage tire buildingmachine constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 2A-2F are illustrations showing the sequential movement of breakerstrips from the servicer to the collapsible drum.

FIGS. 3A-3F are perspective illustrations showing the sequentialmovement of a breaker and tread cylinder from the collapsible drum tothe first stage tire carcass.

FIGS. 4A-4D are illustrations showing the movement of the stitcher uponthe breaker and tread cylinder at the first station with FIG. 4Dillustration the stitched green tire placed upon the table of the outputstation.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are side elevational views of the sheet feedingmechanisms of the servicer in various operational positions.

FIGS. 6A-6C are perspective illustrations of the various components ofthe cutter and aligner mechanisms.

FIGS. 7A-7E are front elevational views of the cutter mechanismsillustrating their sequential movement through a cycle of operation.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are illustrations showing the mechanisms for feedingtread material to the collapsible drum over the breaker plies.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts through the severalviews of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Overview

The second stage tire building machine 10 of the present invention isdepicted in the attached drawings. It is comprised of a plurality ofassemblies, subassemblies and components operable together for itspurpose of converting a generally cylindrically shaped carcass 12 into atoroid-shaped green tire 14 ready for vulcanization. The machineincludes a first or carcass drum assembly or station 16 formed of spacedflanges 18 adapted to receive and support the carcass 12. It functionsto expand the carcass 12 into a toroid shape for the receipt of abreaker and tread cylinder 20 for the formation of the green tire.

The machine also includes a second or breaker drum assembly or station24 formed of a collapsible drum 26 rotatable about an axis aligned with,but axially offset from, the axis of the flanges 18 of the carcass drumassembly. The breaker drum is adapted to receive strips of breakermaterial 28 and 30 and a strip 32 of tread material and to position themin a superposed relationship to form the breaker and tread cylinder. Thebreaker and tread cylinder is then transported axially from the breakerdrum assembly 24 to the carcass 12 at the carcass drum assembly 16 by atransport ring 36 which is axially shiftable between the two drumassemblies.

A third assembly is the servicer assembly or station 38 which is adaptedto convey breaker material along paths of travel from supply rolls 40and 42, past cutter and tip aligner subassemblies 44, to the breakerdrum 26. The conveying of the breaker material is at an appropriatespeed and in an appropriately timed sequence to effect the desiredresult of a continuous and repeatable breaker tread cylinder. Theservicer assembly includes the framing support structures as well as theconveyor belts and control mechanisms 46 for effecting the appropriateconveying of the breaker material to the breaker drum. The controlmechanisms include belts, pulleys and sensors to input a controller fordetermining material position and thus allow for the intended operationand control of the machine. A tread conveyor 48, operable in associationwith the servicer, functions for feeding precut strips 32 of treadmaterial onto the surface of the superposed strips 28 and 30 of breakermaterial on the breaker drum 26.

The machine also includes a robot assembly 52 for conveying the tirecarcass 14 from a loading station 54 to the carcass drum assembly. Theloading station includes a pre-inflator 36 where the carcass 12 isinitially placed by an operator after being carried or otherwisetransported from a first stage tire building machine, the place ofcarcass fabrication. The robot assembly 52 is also adapted to convey thecarcass with the breaker and tread cylinder stitched thereto, the greentire 14 ready for vulcanization, to a final or inspection stationwhereat the operator may view and inspect the green tire and then carryor otherwise transport such green tire to the curing press forvulcanization.

Also included within the machine is an operator programmable controlassembly 46 for coordinating the operation of the various assemblies,subassemblies and components in their intended continuous and automaticcycle of operation with minimum operator involvement.

Drum Assemblies

The carcass drum assembly 16 includes a cantilevered member 60 with afree outboard end and an inboard end supported by the machine forrotation by suitable drive mechanisms. Adjacent to its outboard end area pair of carcass-receiving flanges 18 of similar construction, aninboard flange and an outboard flange. Each flange is of a generallyconical configuration for receiving the internal edges of a carcass 12.The carcass-receiving surface of each flange is provided with anelastomeric membrane 62 which communicates by internal conduits with asource of air under pressure whereby the membranes may be inflated tosufficiently increase in diameter to form an air-tight seal with asupported carcass. A further source of air under pressure is coupledwith the interior of the carcass through a conduit in the member for theinflation of the carcass supported by the flanges. Such air flows areconventional.

The flanges 18 are mounted on the cantilevered member or shaft 60through a concentric shaft and the sleeve arrangement. The outboardflange supported by the shaft and inboard flange supported by the sleeveare axially shiftable by drive mechanisms toward and away from eachother equally and oppositely. Movement toward each other is performedconcurrently with the inflation of the carcass in order to convert thecylindrical carcass into a toroid shape. As a result of the constructionand arrangement of the components of the carcass drum assembly, thesupported carcass is deformed and inflated in order to receive a breakerand tread cylinder 20 brought into an encompassing position by thetransfer ring. With the transfer ring 36 and the breaker and treadcylinder encircling the inflated carcass, the carcass is furtherinflated to contact the interior surface of the breaker and treadcylinder for adhesion therebetween. The transfer ring is expanded torelease the breaker and tread cylinder. The transfer ring is thenaxially displaced toward the breaker drum to an intermediate locationfor exposing the periphery of the breaker and tread cylinder. Note FIGS.3A through 3F for the sequence.

A stitcher 64, located adjacent the flanges 18 and pivoted on arms 66,is then brought into contact with the periphery of the breaker and treadcylinder 20. Its opposed wheels 68 rotate, through the rotation of thecarcass and breaker and tread cylinder, and are driven concurrently awayfrom each other to stitch the breaker and tread cylinder onto thecarcass, thereby forming the green tire ready for vulcanization in thecuring press. Note FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C.

The breaker drum subassembly 24 includes a collapsible drum 26 rotatableabout an axis which is coextensive with, but offset from, the axis ofthe flanges 18 of the carcass drum assembly 16. The breaker drumassembly includes a cantilevered shaft 72 with a free outboard end andan inboard end supported and driven by the machine. Its outboard endsupports the collapsible breaker drum 26 which is located at an axiallyspaced interval from the carcass drum assembly.

A motion imparting linkage arrangement is adapted to radially displace aplurality of segments 74, two opposite segments greater than 90 degreesand the other two segments less than 90 degrees, as shown in thepreferred embodiment. The segments function to effectively expand andcontract the breaker-supporting surface of the breaker drum. This actionwill allow a constructed breaker and tread cylinder to be supported bythe breaker drum when the segments are expanded or removed therefrom bythe transfer ring when the segments are contracted. Compare FIGS. 3A and3C.

The breaker drum 26 is adapted to be rotated through the shaft 72whereby it will receive and support a first applied breaker strip 28from the first conveyor 76 of the servicer assembly and a subsequentlyapplied second breaker strip from another or second conveyor 78 of theservicer assembly. The first breaker strip will completely overlie thesurface of the expanded breaker drum with no overlap or gap at itsopposite ends. The second breaker strip is slightly longer than thefirst since it will overlie the first breaker strip on the breaker drum,also with no overlap or gap between its opposite ends. The breakerstrips, when together on the breaker drum, form the breaker cylinder.The cutting of the breaker strips and their positioning onto the breakerdrum is effected without operator involvement in a continuous andautomatic cycle of operation.

Overlying the second breaker strip is the tread strip 32, fed to therotating breaker drum from the side thereof opposite the servicer. Inoperation and use, the breaker and tread strips are fed into superposedposition onto the breaker drum to form the breaker and tread cylinder.The only operator involvement is the placing of the tread strip on itsconveyor 48 and the hand stitching of the trailing edge of the treadstrip for completion of the breaker and tread cylinder to be attached tothe carcass.

The transfer ring subassembly 36 includes a shiftable member 82 with acircular aperture 84 having an internal diameter greater than theexternal diameter of the breaker and tread cylinder. The aperture hasits axis aligned with the axis of the carcass and breaker drumsubassemblies for movement therebetween. Its lower end is supported onrails 86 for movement between its opposite end positions.

A plurality of segments 88, eight in the disclosed preferred embodimentwith arcuate interior surfaces, are adapted to move radially toward andaway from the axis of the ring. Their open positions are radiallyremoved from the axis of the ring, but they are movable radiallyinteriorly to closed positions to grasp the breaker and tread cylinder.

With the breaker and tread cylinder gripped by the transfer ring, thebreaker drum is then collapsed to a reduced diameter so that thetransfer ring may contact, grasp and then axially shift the breaker andtread cylinder to a position over and encompassing the carcass. Note thesequence shown in FIGS. 3A through 3F. The carcass is then expanded tocontact the breaker and tread cylinder for adherence therebetween. Thetransfer ring is then expanded to release the breaker and tread cylinderand then move to a location between the two drum assemblies during thefinal stitching of the green tire. Thereafter, the transfer ring ismoved to encompass the stitched green tire through the contraction ofits segments. The exhausting of the air from the green tire and theseparation of the flanges releases the green tire from the carcass drumassembly. The transfer ring then moves the green tire to a locationbetween the drum assemblies where it is picked up by the robot. Thesegments are then expanded and the transfer ring returned to the breakerdrum assembly to pick up the next breaker and tread cylinder while therobot conveys the green tire to the inspection station.

Servicer Assembly

The servicer assembly 38 may be considered as comprising the structuresof the material support subassembly 40 and 42, the breaker feedsubassembly 76 and 78 for conveying the breaker material to the breakerdrum, and the cutter and tip aligner subassembly 44 located along thepath of travel of the breaker material for cutting the breaker materialfed from a supply roll into strips and for feeding such strips to thebreaker drum. The servicer assembly also functions in association withthe tread feed subassembly 48 located adjacent to the breaker drum butremote from the servicer assembly for feeding previously cut strips oftread material to the breaker drum.

The support subassembly includes a plurality of interconnected channelirons and other supporting hardware and frames for the breaker feedsubassembly and the cutter and tip aligner subassembly. The supportassembly defines a path of movement for the fed breaker material fromthe rolls 40 and 42 to the breaker drum 26 by the sheet feed subassembly76 and 78. Two such rolls, two sheet feed subassemblies and two cutterand tip aligner subassemblies are disclosed in the preferred embodimentto accommodate a tire being fabricated of two individual strips ofbreaker material. Any number of breakers, either more or less, could beutilized with a corresponding number of rolls and sheet feed and cutterand tip aligner subassemblies and sheet feed paths.

The support subassembly also includes conventional frames for apreliminary conveyor 92, one for each sheet feed subassembly. Each framehas spaced rollers 94 supporting an inclined belt 96 with an uppersurface located to allow an operator to manually adhere or stitch thetrailing edge of a prior fed roll with the leading edge of the nextfollowing roll to be fed. The breaker material is then adapted tofestoon or sag at 98 downwardly from the output end of the preliminaryconveyor. The festooning of the breaker material allows the material tobe easily withdrawn by a subsequent conveyor from a driven, rotatablesupply roll without excessive forces which might otherwise withdrawmaterials irregularly resulting in imprecise feeding of the breakermaterial. A sensor is located to determine the extent or length of thefestooned loop and to increase or decrease the speed of the preliminaryconveyor and feed roll appropriately for maintaining the length of thefestooned material within pre-selected limits. A loop which is too shortmight result in imprecise feeding of the fed material along with thestretching of the material. Similarly, a loop which is too long mightalso result in stretching of the fed material due to its weight. Adevice appropriate for this sensing and controlling function is aSonitrol sensor manufactured and sold by Waddington Electronics, Inc., acorporation of the State of Rhode Island.

Thereafter, the material is fed upwardly to the inclined input end ofthe input conveyor 102 and across an essentially horizontal stretch,terminating at a cutter and tip aligner subassembly 44. Guide rollers104, one of which is driven by a motor, support the belt of the inputconveyor. Prior to the belt of the input conveyor belt, a series ofparallel rollers 106 overlie a plate at its edges to align the materialprior to its contact with the belt. A second series of parallel rollers108, perpendicular to the rollers of the first series, maintains the fedmaterial in proper alignment centered on the conveyor belt. The rollersof the first and second series are adjustable toward and away from eachother and the longitudinal center line of the plate and belt toaccommodate the feeding and centering of breaker material of differentwidths. Idler rollers extend entirely across the path of travel at thecurve of the input conveyor.

At the input end of each input conveyor there is located a width sensor.Each sensor extends across the entire sheet feed path for the precisedetermination of the fed breaker material width at any particular time.This information is fed to the machine controller or programmer incombination with the timing belt position information, as is describedhereinafter, so that the width of the sheet material in the cutter andtip aligner will be known precisely at the time the cutting and tipalignment is to be effected. This allows the precise cutting and tipalignment as a function of the location and width of the breakermaterial having been moved from the width sensor to the cutting and tipaligner location.

The cutter and tip aligner subassembly 44 is located between the outputend of the input conveyor and the input end of the intermediate conveyor112.

The input and intermediate conveyors include conveyor belts 114 and 116upon which the breaker material rests and moves. Supporting rollers 118,one of which is driven, support the ends of the belt of each of theintermediate and input conveyor. Each intermediate conveyor is supportedon brackets 120 which are longitudinally reciprocable on slide rails 122of the frames of the support assembly. An air cylinder 124 has itspiston secured to the brackets for independently reciprocating eachintermediate conveyor longitudinally along the sheet feed path.

The various conveyor belts described herein are actually timing belts.They are each formed with internal toothed surfaces 126 cooperable withbelt pulleys having drive teeth for the accurate movement of the beltswith respect to their pulleys, as well as the conveyed material alongwith sheet feed path. This arrangement allows for the accuratepositioning of the belts and material through the conveyor system. Theoutput from the drive pulleys may then precisely provide input signalsto the controller for the overall precise and accurate operation of thetire building machine.

Beneath the belts of the input and intermediate conveyors is a series ofmagnets 128 and 130 adapted to attract the breaker material due to itssteel cords. This attraction allows for a precise positioning of thebreaker material as set by the rollers prior to the belts of the inputconveyor. This attraction also allows for the precise movement of thebreaker material along the path of travel as determined by the movementof the conveyor belts.

Located adjacent to the output end of the intermediate conveyor is anoutput conveyor 134 also formed as a belt 136, with support rollers 138,one of which is driven, and with magnets 140 on the side of the beltremote from the breaker material being fed. The output conveyor,however, is a bottom-feed conveyor adapted to accurately lift the cutbreaker strips through magnets from the intermediate portion of theconveyor for delivery onto the breaker drum.

Each output conveyor 134 of the disclosed two conveyor systems isreciprocable with the intermediate conveyor 112 to which it is coupled.Each output conveyor has an articulated support structure whereby it ispivotable about a central roller 142 but only after its intermediateconveyor has been driven to its extended position. With the intermediateand output conveyors in an extended and pivoted position, the output endof the output conveyor is in close proximity to the breaker drum, afeeding location sufficiently close to the breaker drum to precludeoperator involvement during the transfer of a fed strip of breakermaterial onto the breaker drum. Air cylinders 124 associated with eachoutput conveyor effect the longitudinal movement of the intermediate andoutput conveyors while coordinated air cylinders 144 mounted on eachintermediate and output conveyor effect the pivotal movement of theoutput ends of the output conveyors. Note particularly the lowerconveyor of FIG. 5A.

An optical sensor 148 is mounted on a depending vertical support 150 todetect the leading as well as the trailing edges of the cut breakerstrips. The sensing is done very accurately. The sensed output is fed tothe controller 146 whereat the speed of the intermediate and outputconveyor may be increased or decreased appropriately so that all cutbreaker strips will be of a precise length to fully cover the entirecircumference of the breaker drum with no gap or overlap. In the case ofthe second breaker strip, that it may fully cover the first breakerstrip with no gap or overlap. The controller could also be programmed tovary the rotational speed of the drum to effect the same result.

The upper conveyor of the servicer functions to deliver the first stripof breaker material of the upper conveyor onto the breaker drum.Thereafter the lower conveyor will feed a second strip of breakermaterial over the initially fed breaker material from the upperconveyor. The programming of the system is such that the leading edge ofthe lower conveyor may be placed on the upper breaker material at anyrotational position with respect to the leading edge of the first stripof breaker material on the breaker drum. FIGS. 2A through 2F show thebreaker strips being delivered.

The edge sensor and a timing belt function together in a synergisticmanner to measure the location of the breaker material, to track itsmovement and the cutting and tip alignment, all of which are correlatedto the center line of the belt and material.

The tread feeding subassembly 48 is located on the side of the breakerdrum remote from the servicer assembly. It is formed of parallel endrails 154 and coupled parallel side rails 156 with rollers 158 spanningthe space therebetween. The rollers constitute a tread strip conveyor160 and are driven by a motor. The upper surfaces of the driven rollersdefine the tread strip feed path. The tread strip feed path extends froma supply of precut strips of tread material and terminates in closeproximity to the breaker drum whereby the leading edge may be fed intimed sequence to the drum rotation for applying the tread strip to thesuperposed breaker strips on the breaker drum.

An optical sensor is located above the tread feed path for measuring thelength of each fed tread strip. Through the logic of the controlassembly 46, the output of the sensor functions to vary the speed ofmovement of the tread strips being fed. In this manner the fed treadstrip will form a complete cylinder around the breaker strips with nooverlap or gap. The controller could also be programmed to vary therotational speed of the drum to effect the same result.

The side rails and rollers are supported by an assembly forautomatically pivoting the entire tread feed subassembly about shaft 162on a floor support and through a piston 164 to longitudinally raise andlower the output end of the tread strip conveyor. The subassembly thusmoves between an operative position shown in FIG. 8B with the output endraised and located adjacent to the breaker drum and an inoperativeposition shown in FIGS. 8A with the output end lowered and located awayfrom the breaker drum. This movement allows the operator access to thebreaker drum to stitch the trailing end of the tread stock forcompleting the breaker and tread subassembly when the output end islowered and retracted.

Cutter and Tip Aligner Subassembly

Cutting is effected by two freely rotatable knives 168 and 170 that areindependently activatable but concurrently positionable at an angle withrespect to the material to be cut. Since breaker material normally hassteel or other hard cords from edge to edge at a specific predeterminedangle, the cutters move at the same angle as the cords to cut thebreaker material between the cords. It is preferred that the breakermaterial be cut evenly by cutting from the center of the materialoutwardly to the edges. In this manner the disturbing of the materialfrom its intended central positioning is minimized.

The angle of the knives may be varied to correspond to the angle of thesteel cords of the breaker material. If cutting breaker material withits cords offset at 23 degrees, for example, the operator would set thecutter track at 23 degrees, either electronically through the panel ofthe control assembly or mechanically.

The breaker strip material is stopped through the stopping of theconveyor for the cutting operation. The actual cutting of the breakerstrips is effected by a pair of coordinated rotary knives having sharpperipheral edges adapted to cooperate with a hard metal plate or anvil172 on the opposite side of the breaker material to be cut. The anvil isa fixed plate located above the conveyor belts but beneath the breakermaterial in the region where the cutting occurs. It is fixedly securedby its side edges to the frame structure. The knives and anvil arecommonly supported by side brackets through an upper support shaft 174,for varying the horizontal path of travel of the cutters to equal theangle of the cords in the breaker strip material to be cut.

The rotary knives are each mounted on a knife supporting shaft 176 forfree rotation during their cutting movement which is effected by thebreaker material and anvil over which they roll. The knife-supportingshafts are, in turn, supported by side plates 178. The adjacent remoteends of the plates support the rotary knives while their opposite endsare mounted on plate-supporting shafts to effect the pivoting of theside plates and knives into and out of cutting contact with the breakerstrips and anvil. The side plates with their knives are independentlyreciprocable longitudinally along a track 174 through a carriageassembly 180 supporting the side plates. In this manner, the knives areindependently pivotable through pneumatic pistons 182 into and out ofcontact with the anvil and the breaker strip to be cut. The knives arealso independently movable across the anvil and the breaker material tobe cut through pistons 184.

In operation and use, the knives are located in their raised position asshown in FIG. 7A adjacent to each other over a central extent of thebreaker strip to be cut. The breaker strip is stopped for the cuttingthereof. Cutting begins with the inner or longitudinally rearwardlymoving knife 168 pivoting downward to pierce the breaker strip materialbetween adjacent steel cords. Note FIG. 7B. The lowered knife thenbegins movement inwardly or longitudinally rearwardly with respect tothe material to initiate the cutting. The outer or longitudinallyforwardly moving knife 170 moves along the track concurrently with theinner knife but in a raised position. Note FIG. 7C. Thereafter, as shownin FIG. 7D, the outer knife pivots downwardly into the cut in thebreaker strip effected by the inner knife and then moves outward orlongitudinally forward. The inner and outer knives are thus moving at acommon speed, but in opposed directions, both knives traveling towardits adjacent edge and arriving at their edges at about the same time asshown in FIG. 7E. Both knives then pivot to their raised positions afterthe cut has been completed and return to their rest positions adjacentto the longitudinal center line of the breaker strip material andconveyor belts. This mode of operation allows a precise cut, with theknives moving in opposite directions and arriving at the edges at thesame time this minimizes the movement of the edges away from thelongitudinal centerline.

In practice it has been found that some movement of the edges of thebreaker strip material will be laterally displaced during cutting. Thisis particularly true of the leading edge which is at an acute angle of,for example, 23 degrees from the longitudinal centerline of the materialand conveyor belts in a preferred operative embodiment.

Rather than attempt to preclude displacement of the leading edge asthrough clamps and magnets, it has been found easier to merely alignsuch edge after the cut. This is effected by sets of rollers 188 locatedabout parallel vertical axes on the sides of the cutter and anviladjacent to the edges of the conveyor. Roller bearings are located onthe support rods for the rollers to minimize frictional loss. A commonplate 190 supporting the rollers adjacent to their upper edges isprovided for supporting each set of rollers. The rollers will shift theleading edge back toward the longitudinal centerline a predetermineddistance for the accurate realignment of the leading edge and the entirebreaker strip.

The primary force effecting realignment of the tip of the cut breakermaterial is a motor 192 to move a drive belt 194 on rollers 196. Theroller-supporting plates are mounted on rotatable guides 198 secured tothe drive belt for movement toward and away from the cut material butalways parallel with the longitudinal center line of the fed material.The belt 194 is supported on rollers and move both the forward andrearward plates and their supported sets of rollers equally andoppositely to align the both edges of the cut breaker material atlocations adjacent to their cuts. Parallelism is maintained through theprimary guides and secondary guides being slidably received in parallelrods 202. The rods are pivotally secured to vertical side plates 204movable on vertical axes 206 to a predetermined angle equal to the angleof breaker cut. Sensors 210 prior to the input conveyor belts sense thewidth of the breaker material to be cut and drive the motor for theplates and rollers 188 of the tip aligner 44 so that they will moveoutwardly from, and inwardly towards, the edges of the cut material toeffect the trapping, squeezing and repositioning of the edges of the cutbreaker material when in position between the rollers 188.

The movement and extent of movement of the tip aligner rollers iseffected through mechanisms as shown. Such movement is determined by thewidth of the material in the programmer as read by the width sensor andmaterial location as determined by the timing belts and their output.

Controller Assembly and Method

A controller assembly 46 dictates the operational events of the secondstage tire building machine and the method of operation as describedabove including the carcass and breaker drum assemblies 24, the servicerassembly 38, the cutter and tip aligner assembly 44 and the robotassembly 52. The controller 46 is fully programmable by the operatorthrough the control panel to vary the mode of operation of the variousassemblies and component subassemblies and elements as may be desired toaccommodate the fabrication of green tires of various characteristicsfrom carcasses and breaker and tread strips of various characteristics.

The controller 46 provides the operator with various timed windows ofoperation such as for bringing the carcass onto the pre-inflator at theinput station 214 and for removing the green tire from the inspection oroutput station. A window of operation is meant to be a predeterminedtime period in the sequence of operation of the machine during which theoperator must perform a particular task or step in the sequence ofoperations otherwise the machine will cease its next sequential functionand stop its further functioning. Another window of operation isprovided for placing a tread strip on the tread conveyor. In all otheraspects, the controller drives the machine continuously andautomatically without operator involvement.

Inputs to the controller assembly 46 as set forth above include thebreaker material width sensors 210 between the preliminary and inputconveyors, the breaker strip length sensors 148, and the tread striplength sensor. Outputs from the controller assembly, as set forth above,include the drives for the preliminary conveyors and feed rolls, thebreaker material conveyors, the tread material conveyor, the cutter andaligner subassembly, the drum assemblies, stitcher and robot.

The method of operation basically involves the fabricating of a greentire 14 from a carcass 12 on a second stage tire building machineincluding the steps of providing a first inboard station for loading,shaping and stitching a first stage tire carcass, providing an outboardsecond station 16 axially offset from the first station for assembling abreaker and tread cylinder, feeding breaker strips to the secondstation, feeding a tread strip to the second station 16 for thecompletion of the breaker tread and cylinder, transporting the breakerand tread cylinder 20 from the second station 16 onto the periphery ofthe carcass 12 for the formation of a green tire 14 by a transfer ring36 and then transporting the green tire 14 to an intermediate locationto transport the carcass to the first station 24 and the green tire to afinal location by a robot 52, and coordinating the movement of thebreaker strip, tread strip, transfer ring and robot by a controller 46in a continuous and automatic cycle of operation.

The various sensors and control functions act together to synchronizethe various component elements, subassemblies and assemblies of themachine. They also allow for the programmability of such functions toprovide flexibility through the controller, all precisely determined bythe precise measurements initiated with the toothed timing belts and theassociated sensors.

Further specifics involved in the method of operation are detailed morecompletely in the descriptions of the various assemblies, subassembliesand components as described above.

In addition, further associated details of operation and constructionare set out in U.S. application Ser. No. 199,081 filed concurrentlyherewith and assigned to the assignee of the instant application, thesubject matter of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and combinationand arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Now that the invention has been described;

What is claimed is:
 1. A servicer for conveying upper and lower breakerstrip material onto a rotating cylindrical surface comprising:upper andlower conveyors, each with an input end and output end, to sequentiallyfeed the upper and lower breaker strip material along upper and lowerpaths of travel onto the rotating cylindrical surface; each conveyorincluding an input conveyor portion, an intermediate conveyor portionand an output conveyor portion, each portion including a separateconveyor belt, the input and intermediate conveyor portions havingmagnets beneath their conveyor belts for conveying fed materialthereabove and the output conveyor portion having magnets thereabove forconveying fed material therebeneath; a roll of breaker strip materiallocated in association with each conveyor at its input end; firstpositioning means to move the intermediate and output conveyor portionof each conveyor longitudinally along the feed path between a firstextended position adjacent to the rotating cylindrical surface and asecond position remote therefrom; second positioning means to pivot onlythe output end of the output conveyor portion of each conveyor in saidfirst extended position between a raised inoperative position and alowered position in operative association with the rotating cylindricalsurface; cutter means in each path of travel to cut the conveyed breakerstrip material into strips of predetermined lengths; and drive meansassociated with the conveyors to move the cut breaker strip materialonto the rotating surface.
 2. The servicer as set forth in claim 1 andfurther including an additional conveyor to feed precut strips of treadmaterial onto the rotating surface over the breaker strips.
 3. Theservicer as set forth in claim 2 wherein the additional conveyor meansis located on the side of the rotating surface remote from the upper andlower conveyors.
 4. The servicer as set forth in claim 3 wherein theadditional conveyor means is movable between a position adjacent to therotating surface and to a position remote therefrom.
 5. The servicer asset forth in claim 4 and further including a programmable controller tocoordinate and effect the moving and pivoting of the conveyors.
 6. Theservicer as set forth in claim 5 wherein the movement of the additionalconveyor means is coordinated and effected by the controller means. 7.In a tire building machine servicer, material feeding apparatus forsequentially conveying breaker strips with magnetic cords onto arotating surface comprising: conveyor means with an input end and anoutput end to sequentially convey the leading edge of each breaker stripalong a feed path onto the rotating surface, the conveyor meansincluding an input conveyor portion, an intermediate conveyor portionand an output conveyor portion, each portion including a separateconveyor belt, the input and intermediate conveyor portions havingmagnets beneath their conveyor belts for conveying fed materialthereabove and the output conveyor portion having magnets thereabove forconveying fed material therebeneath;a source of breaker material locatedin association with the input end of the conveyor means; firstpositioning means to move the intermediate and output conveyor portionlongitudinally along the feed path between a first extended positionadjacent to the rotating surface and a second position remote therefrom;second positioning means to pivot only the output end of the outputconveyor portion in said first extended position with respect to theintermediate conveyor portion between a lowered position in operativeassociation with respect to the rotating surface and a raisedinoperative position; cutting and alignment means in the feed path tocut and align the breaker strip material into aligned strips ofpredetermined lengths; and drive means in association with the conveyormeans to convey the cut breaker strip material onto the rotatingsurface.
 8. The feed apparatus as set forth in claim 7 and furtherincluding detector means to sense the length of cut breaker stripmaterial and to vary, in response thereto, the relative speed betweenthe drive means and the rotating surface.
 9. The feed apparatus as setforth in claim 7 wherein the conveyor belts are in a closed loopconfiguration with a toothed configuration on their interior surface andfurther including toothed pulley means for driving the conveyor belts.10. The feed apparatus as set forth in claim 9 and further includingcontrol means responsive to the rotational position of the pulley meansfor detecting the location of the breaker material as it is fed by theconveyor belts.
 11. The feed apparatus as set forth in claim 7 whereinthe source of breaker material feeds the breaker material at a speedcorrelated with the speed of the conveyor means.
 12. The feed apparatusas set forth in claim 7 and further including control means to detectthe width and position of the fed material and to activate the cuttingand alignment means as a function of the detected width and position.